How do I join a league?

G

gameboy

Hall of Fame
I played in HS, club play in college and local club until I put the racquet down about 10 years ago. Recently, I started playing again and I am really enjoying it.

However, it is difficult to find willing partners and I would like to join a league so that I can get some good match experiences.

How do I go about joining a league? Do I need to be a USTA member first? Do I just contact regional coordinators?

Thanks for your help.
 
You need to know someone and get invited to jon. As for emailing coordinators, you'd have more of a chance hearing back from President Obama than them.
 
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gameboy said:
I live in Seattle area. Too bad it is invitation only...
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It's NOT invitation only, but it does help if you already have a team lined up.

Talk with your local coordinator and ask him/her to help place you on a team.
Go here: http://www.pnw.usta.com/PNW/Global/Custom Pages/USTA League/2444_Coordinators.aspx

It would help if you could determine your NTRP level prior as your coordinator is going to ask for your level. It's not going to be good enough to go "well, I used to be good in 1984 when I was playing three times a week." That's not going to help them one bit.

Talk with a pro at the facility you play at and ask them to watch you play and gauge your level (ask what NTRP you are).

Other than that, good luck and talk with the players in your area and ask them what teams they are on.


Jeff
 
I'm trying to join a league. I've contacted a few teams through USTA but no one gets back to me. Is there an ideal time to apply?
 
If you're a part of a tennis club/facility it's normally easier as you will have teams competing from the club at different levels and can talk to the captain to see if they will give you a chance. Alternatively the local league coordinator can help depending on if the captains are willing to take a chance/have a need for a player.
 
silverwyvern4 said:
You need to tell the captains that you're really 4.0 level but you're willing to self rate as 3.0 then they'll respond
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+1

as a former capt, and one who's done a bunch of "trials" for potential recruits, some things i've learned/observed:
  • if you say you're ntrp4.0, but don't have a playing record (eg. usta, college, etc...), i presume you're ntrp3.5, and 99.9% of the time i'll be right
  • no one likes "trialing" the new guy (because like above, if no previous record, most new folks exaggerate how good they are, and ends up being a waste of time)
  • not to mention general flakes.. (i've had folks cxl last minute, come very late, etc...)
when i'm going to a new location (eg. vacation, moving, etc...) here's what i do:
  • vid myself playing, and said yt link to <fill in team i'm going for>
  • send my usta results
  • send my utr
  • offer to play anyone (eg. usually the worst player), and if i win, hopefully have that person be my spokes person
  • offer to play with anyone, at their convenience, their schedule, etc... (ie. make it as convenient for the as possible for them, since i'm the one that wants something (eg. an in, into their group))
 
Thanks for all of the advice. Guess video is a good way to give people a sense of level. Self-rating seems pretty dubious. According to the USTA chart I would be a 3.5 but I regularly play 4.0 -5.0 players recreationally and beat most 4.0 handily and am usually competitive with 4.5-5.0, winning some sets and losing some. I only played competitively as an under 14 in USTA SoCal, traveling throughout San Diego, LA, Palm Springs etc. Think I was ranked but can’t remember the number. I’m 43 now and have been very off and on with tennis due to my surfing addiction. Got bit again by the tennis bug after a few years of just occasional hitting with randos at the public courts. Now that I’m beating 4.0-4.5s regularly, thought it would be fun to win in a more formal setting.

I guess this is not the narrative team captains want to hear lol. Maybe I’ll just stick to playing rec sets with Facebook people on public courts.
 
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Look up TennisLink scores for 3.5 USTA leagues in your area of SoCal. Find a team that plays at a public location that is near to you and contact the captain. Or you can show up at the park when they play a home match (schedule should be visible), watch and talk to players on the team. If you make a good impression, you might get invited for social play as typically team members will play socially in addition to the league matches.

In terms of rating, all self-ratings in non-USTA leagues and even USTA Flex leagues are inflated by 0.5-1.0 compared to USTA team league ratings and better to check out a 3.5 team first rather than 4.0. If you think the level is too low when you watch them, try the same with a 4.0 team. You will be more welcome as a good player on a 3.5 team for instance than as one of the lower players on a 4.0 team as captains are typically looking only for good players to round out their rosters in a tennis hotbed like SoCal.
 
SpinDr. said:
Thanks for all of the advice. Guess video is a good way to give people a sense of level. Self-rating seems pretty dubious. According to the USTA chart I would be a 3.5 but I regularly play 4.0 -5.0 players recreationally and beat most 4.0 handily and am usually competitive with 4.5-5.0, winning some sets and losing some. I only played competitively as an under 14 in USTA SoCal, traveling throughout San Diego, LA, Palm Springs etc. Think I was ranked but can’t remember the number. I’m 43 now and have been very off and on with tennis due to my surfing addiction. Got bit again by the tennis bug after a few years of just occasional hitting with randos at the public courts. Now that I’m beating 4.0-4.5s regularly, thought it would be fun to win in a more formal setting.

I guess this is not the narrative team captains want to hear lol. Maybe I’ll just stick to playing rec sets with Facebook people on public courts.
Click to expand...
I'd relax a little, you are probably a 4.0 easy, surfing is very athletic, you travelled as a junior, there will always be teams that are just cool people and need bodies and players to fill a roster, most teams aren't pretending it's an audition for a college scholarship so to speak, despite the chatter on these boards. If you want, you can find a team to play on easily.
 
SpinDr. said:
Thanks for all of the advice. Guess video is a good way to give people a sense of level. Self-rating seems pretty dubious. According to the USTA chart I would be a 3.5 but I regularly play 4.0 -5.0 players recreationally and beat most 4.0 handily and am usually competitive with 4.5-5.0, winning some sets and losing some. I only played competitively as an under 14 in USTA SoCal, traveling throughout San Diego, LA, Palm Springs etc. Think I was ranked but can’t remember the number. I’m 43 now and have been very off and on with tennis due to my surfing addiction. Got bit again by the tennis bug after a few years of just occasional hitting with randos at the public courts. Now that I’m beating 4.0-4.5s regularly, thought it would be fun to win in a more formal setting.

I guess this is not the narrative team captains want to hear lol. Maybe I’ll just stick to playing rec sets with Facebook people on public courts.
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Isn't there a flex league for singles you can join or play? then if you meet other players, they may recruit you?
With your history and being ranked, I think 4.0 is the minimum rating. Plus you say you're beating 4.0s handily.
You could always plus up at 4.5 if you feel it is too boring.
 
SpinDr. said:

If it helps, here I am playing wall ball recently. 3.5? 4.0?
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IMHO it's not possible to gauge match play from strokes, but you do have good looking strokes.
I know plenty of 3.5's(used to be one myself) who have good strokes but cannot play at 4.0 matchplay. If you aren't sure, you can always try to start a level lower than you think you are. If you are out of place, you will know soon and be bumped up.
 
SpinDr. said:
I regularly play 4.0 -5.0 players recreationally and beat most 4.0 handily and am usually competitive with 4.5-5.0, winning some sets and losing some.
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Do you know if you are playing computer rated players? If so, pass that info on to potential captains.
 
SpinDr. said:

If it helps, here I am playing wall ball recently. 3.5? 4.0?
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I think you should be able to play 4.0 especially if you play doubles at a good level also. A new player will likely be tried out in doubles a few times before a captain of a good team will put him in singles as usually the best players on the team play singles.

If your intent is only to play singles, try 3.5 first. Sometimes on weak 4.0 teams they may be short of good singles players and they might be more willing to try out a new player in singles. You might want to go attend a home match of a local 4.0 team and talk to players and the captain as I suggested.
 
SpinDr. said:
I'm trying to join a league. I've contacted a few teams through USTA but no one gets back to me. Is there an ideal time to apply?
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You need to find captains of the USTA teams in your area. I would recommend reaching out to your local league coordinator (LLC) and see if they can pass your information over to captains. Another option is to search on tennis link (usta league website) to find teams in your area. Each team will have their home facility listed. You could visit any of the public facilities during matches and try to talk with captains.
 
gameboy said:
I played in HS, club play in college and local club until I put the racquet down about 10 years ago. Recently, I started playing again and I am really enjoying it.

However, it is difficult to find willing partners and I would like to join a league so that I can get some good match experiences.

How do I go about joining a league? Do I need to be a USTA member first? Do I just contact regional coordinators?

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

3.0S, and the captains will come flocking...

It depends on your area. most areas have captains that have established teams and players. They are probably recruiting only a handful at most.
If a captain is short players, they may ask the local league coordinator for a list of players that are "free agents". This is where a lot of "interested" players end up.
From the captain's perspective... worst case is someone that overestimates their skill and is self rated too high.
Start playing round robins at your local clubs, and eventually you will meet USTA people.

you will need to join the USTA. you can wait until you have a team to join.
 
When you guys say clubs, you mean private tennis club$$$$$?

When I was 10, I was recruited during an open session at the San Dieguito Tennis Club in Encinitas, CA and got a scholarship for coaching. From there it was a private coach, ex-WTA player from the 80s who had a stable of young guys she worked with 1-1. She would arrange round-robin tournaments to be played throughout the week at private courts she had access to in Rancho Santa Fe and Del Mar. On weekends, she would pack us into her van and drive us to USTA tournaments all over SoCal. I won some rounds but never a tournament. I think my best result was 2nd place at the La Costa Resort and Spa, where they used to have a pretty big WTA tournament. Got to play on center court in the final. Eventually, I got tired of losing, so I quit in middle school. I was just a prepubescent kid swinging a Prince Graphite Classic.

Where all the 4.5 playground grinders at?

Okay, I watched a bunch 3.5-4.5 NTRP match play videos. People would be pissed if I showed up calling myself a 3.5.

Dude I played with the other day has won 4.0 tournaments and plays 4.5s as well, said he was trying to keep up with me. He plays at the Balboa Challenge Courts 4.5+ on weekends and that it would be a competitive level for me. I'll start there and look into spring flex leagues when registration opens for those.

I moved to Carlsbad after 20 years in SF, and I'm shocked by how privatized and scarce tennis is here compared to SF. Private clubs, empty HOA courts. You would think there would be league play somewhere in North County SD, but the closest location is La Jolla :rolleyes:. I used to just cruise to the Golden Gate Tennis Center, hit against the wall and meet all kinds of solid players. Started getting into wicked old man doubles matches, and playing sets with ex-college players and good players from all over the world -- France, Morocco, Russia. Miss that grassroots scene.
 
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SpinDr. said:
Thanks for all of the advice. Guess video is a good way to give people a sense of level. Self-rating seems pretty dubious. According to the USTA chart I would be a 3.5 but I regularly play 4.0 -5.0 players recreationally and beat most 4.0 handily and am usually competitive with 4.5-5.0, winning some sets and losing some. I only played competitively as an under 14 in USTA SoCal, traveling throughout San Diego, LA, Palm Springs etc. Think I was ranked but can’t remember the number. I’m 43 now and have been very off and on with tennis due to my surfing addiction. Got bit again by the tennis bug after a few years of just occasional hitting with randos at the public courts. Now that I’m beating 4.0-4.5s regularly, thought it would be fun to win in a more formal setting.

I guess this is not the narrative team captains want to hear lol. Maybe I’ll just stick to playing rec sets with Facebook people on public courts.
Click to expand...
It would help to find a few USTA NTRP rated players to play. You're describing extremely wide ranges here. A low 5.0 could beat a low 4.5 with a score of 6-0 6-0, a 4.5 could beat a low 4.0 with a score of 6-0 6-0, there's a huge skill gap. I think you intend to say "yeah, I've played a lot of people, I'm an easy-going guy and can hit with anyone" but when you say you're competitive with "4.0-5.0" it sounds like you have no idea what your level is and neither do the players you're playing with.

Instead of trying to pick a broad range of levels, when introducing yourself, cite a specific match result - "I'm at X rating because I played player Y and beat him (link to his tennislink profile, showing his computer rating)".
 
GrassCourtFan said:
It would help to find a few USTA NTRP rated players to play. You're describing extremely wide ranges here. A low 5.0 could beat a low 4.5 with a score of 6-0 6-0, a 4.5 could beat a low 4.0 with a score of 6-0 6-0, there's a huge skill gap. I think you intend to say "yeah, I've played a lot of people, I'm an easy-going guy and can hit with anyone" but when you say you're competitive with "4.0-5.0" it sounds like you have no idea what your level is and neither do the players you're playing with.

Instead of trying to pick a broad range of levels, when introducing yourself, cite a specific match result - "I'm at X rating because I played player Y and beat him (link to his tennislink profile, showing his computer rating)".
Click to expand...

That's a good read. People i hit with just tell me their level is whatever 3.5, 4.0, 4.5. 5.0. I don't play actual tournaments, so you're right -- I have no idea! I don't know how to access computer rankings or profiles. Maybe I'm not serious enough to go about it this way, and I'd rather just be that chill guy that can hit with anyone. But a little organized competition sounds fun.
 
SpinDr. said:
That's a good read. People i hit with just tell me their level is whatever 3.5, 4.0, 4.5. 5.0. I don't play actual tournaments, so you're right -- I have no idea! I don't know how to access computer rankings or profiles. Maybe I'm not serious enough to go about it this way, and I'd rather just be that chill guy that can hit with anyone. But a little organized competition sounds fun.
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You don’t live in a big city anymore, but a wealthy suburban town by the coast with an older population. The people who play tennis regularly likely play at private clubs and not in leagues at public courts. There won’t be that many 4.5+ players anywhere you live and they tend to know each other and hang out in cliques when they play. You’ll have to do a bit of networking and digging online to break into one of those cliques. Entering local Open tournaments is a good way to go as is going for group liveball drills at local clubs. But I have a feeling you might need to drive down to La Jolla regularly if you want to play with 4.5+ players. There is also a Lifetime tennis club in San Clemente if you drive up north.

Prirate clubs might be about $200-300 per month, but most of the members will be 3.5/4.0 and there might be a sprinkling of 4.5+ players - it will likely be somewhere around 5% of the total membership.
 
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In San Diego North County last year, there was an 18 & Over league that ran from April thru June and had 16 4.0 teams (all in a single flight it seems!) and six 4.5 teams.

The 4.5 teams are listed as playing out of:

Kit Carson Park in Escondido
San Dieguito Tennis Club in Escondido
Fairbanks Ranch Country Club in San Diego
Rancho Penasquitos Tennis Center in San Diego
Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach
Rancho Valencia Resort in Rancho Santa Fe

The 4.0 teams added a few other locations including:

BRENGLE TERRACE PARK in Vista
VALLEY CENTER TENNIS ADAMS PARK in Valley Center
Rancho Bernardo Community Tennis Center in San Diego
OMNI LA COSTA RESORT AND SPA in Carlsbad

A few of those sound like public facilities.
 
schmke said:
In San Diego North County last year, there was an 18 & Over league that ran from April thru June and had 16 4.0 teams (all in a single flight it seems!) and six 4.5 teams.

The 4.5 teams are listed as playing out of:

Kit Carson Park in Escondido
San Dieguito Tennis Club in Escondido
Fairbanks Ranch Country Club in San Diego
Rancho Penasquitos Tennis Center in San Diego
Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach
Rancho Valencia Resort in Rancho Santa Fe

The 4.0 teams added a few other locations including:

BRENGLE TERRACE PARK in Vista
VALLEY CENTER TENNIS ADAMS PARK in Valley Center
Rancho Bernardo Community Tennis Center in San Diego
OMNI LA COSTA RESORT AND SPA in Carlsbad

A few of those sound like public facilities.
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The team out of Omni resort in Carlsbad should be close to him. Solana Beach should be only 20 mins away also. Thanks for doing a lot of digging to help him!
 
socallefty said:
The team out of Omni resort in Carlsbad should be close to him. Solana Beach should be only 20 mins away also. Thanks for doing a lot of digging to help him!
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Someone's gotta help him if the USTA won't!

Note that what I researched can be found on TennisLink, but now that the USTA requires you have a login to even just look at or search for leagues, that is a pretty big barrier to potential new players doing some research before getting a USTA membership.
 
schmke said:
Someone's gotta help him if the USTA won't!

Note that what I researched can be found on TennisLink, but now that the USTA requires you have a login to even just look at or search for leagues, that is a pretty big barrier to potential new players doing some research before getting a USTA membership.
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Selfless acts of help like yours make me feel good about life. And makes it feel like this is a real community even if a ‘virtual’ one.
 
Tennisrecord website is not affiliated with USTA, but it's a very easy way to look up names and find their official rating if they have one. You could go here and type in a few names of players who you have beaten or played close, will take a just a couple minutes of your time:

TennisRecord.com - Estimated Tennis Ratings & Stats

Lookup adult and junior tennis players and stats.
www.tennisrecord.com www.tennisrecord.com
 
schmke said:
In San Diego North County last year, there was an 18 & Over league that ran from April thru June and had 16 4.0 teams (all in a single flight it seems!) and six 4.5 teams.

The 4.5 teams are listed as playing out of:

Kit Carson Park in Escondido
San Dieguito Tennis Club in Escondido
Fairbanks Ranch Country Club in San Diego
Rancho Penasquitos Tennis Center in San Diego
Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach
Rancho Valencia Resort in Rancho Santa Fe

The 4.0 teams added a few other locations including:

BRENGLE TERRACE PARK in Vista
VALLEY CENTER TENNIS ADAMS PARK in Valley Center
Rancho Bernardo Community Tennis Center in San Diego
OMNI LA COSTA RESORT AND SPA in Carlsbad

A few of those sound like public facilities.
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Super helpful! Thank you so much. Yeah, USTA only showed my league play in La Jolla for some reason.

Are the teams that play out of private facilities for their members only?

Also, as a 43 year old, would I be in Over 18, or is there a seniors category?

These are all private clubs, btw.
Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach
Rancho Valencia Resort in Rancho Santa Fe
San Dieguito Tennis Club in Escondido
Fairbanks Ranch Country Club in San Diego
 
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SpinDr. said:
Super helpful! Thank you so much. Yeah, USTA only showed my league play in La Jolla for some reason.

Are the teams that play out of private facilities for their members only?

These are all private clubs, btw.
Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach
Rancho Valencia Resort in Rancho Santa Fe
San Dieguito Tennis Club in Escondido
Fairbanks Ranch Country Club in San Diego
Click to expand...

Yeah the USTA site is pretty bad. The "search for teams" doesn't really work. One person tried it and then got a message saying he'd have to pay a membership, join a club. After a bunch of emails, he found out there wasn't an open spot but if they had enough people sign up they'd make a new team... Also, when you sign up for flex league singles, there's a column or tab for flexleague, but they told me to never use that tab and instead emailed me a special Team# (a team of 1) to register...
You may need to contact the league coordinator about flex league. Basically for that one, there's a suggested schedule where you play other opponents at an agreed location. It makes one of you the "home" team and that person is responsible for court costs and balls ( at least in SoCal). I suggest you do that as a 4.0 and meet people and have fun.

They go through all this about trying to bring more diverse people into tennis and I feel if they made a usable website, you'd get a lot more traffic and people of all races playing leagues/tournaments.
 
SpinDr. said:
Super helpful! Thank you so much. Yeah, USTA only showed my league play in La Jolla for some reason.

Are the teams that play out of private facilities for their members only?

These are all private clubs, btw.
Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach
Rancho Valencia Resort in Rancho Santa Fe
San Dieguito Tennis Club in Escondido
Fairbanks Ranch Country Club in San Diego
Click to expand...
Private clubs can vary in their rules and you should contact the ones you are interested in and find out. My club for instance operates this way:

- Live ball and group drills available to non-members for a fee per session. Many non-members are sometimes regulars at these drills.
- Non-members who say they are interested in becoming potential members can come and play a few times before deciding whether to join. Members can also bring in guests a few times per month with a guest fee per session. These are all good ways for non-members to check out the club and meet players.
- Because we have so many members at 3.5 and 4.0 interested in USTA play, the club wanted USTA teams at those levels to be comprised of members only. However for 4.5 and 4.5+ teams, they were OK with invited non-members being part of the team. This is a very arbitrary rule at a family-owned club and others clubs might be different in whether non-members can play at other levels also.
 
SpinDr. said:
Also, as a 43 year old, would I be in Over 18, or is there a seniors category?
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There are league seasons in some parts of the year for 18+ and seasons in other parts of the year for 40+ - you are eligible for both if you become a USTA member. There are also senior leagues sometimes for 55+.
 
If you haven't seen it yet, there's a link to a "Free Agent Player Interest Form" for your area on this page:

www.ustasocal.com

Adult League Areas - USTA Southern California

LEAGUE AREAS: WINTER REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! ADULT TENNIS | USTA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LEAGUE AREAS: WINTER REGISTRATION NOW OPEN ADULT TENNISUSTA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FIND LEAGUES IN YOUR AREA BAKERSFIELD | BEACH […]
www.ustasocal.com www.ustasocal.com

Might as well fill it out and see what happens.
 
SpinDr. said:
I'm trying to join a league. I've contacted a few teams through USTA but no one gets back to me. Is there an ideal time to apply?
Click to expand...
I would contact your local racquet club and let them know your looking to join a team. They should put you in contact with a few captains at that point.
 
SpinDr. said:
Super helpful! Thank you so much. Yeah, USTA only showed my league play in La Jolla for some reason.

Are the teams that play out of private facilities for their members only?

Also, as a 43 year old, would I be in Over 18, or is there a seniors category?

These are all private clubs, btw.
Lomas Santa Fe Country Club in Solana Beach
Rancho Valencia Resort in Rancho Santa Fe
San Dieguito Tennis Club in Escondido
Fairbanks Ranch Country Club in San Diego
Click to expand...
There is a 40 & Over league too. It is going on now and has a 4.0 flight with 13 teams and a 4.5 flight with 7 teams. Similar facilities.
 
TennisOTM said:
Tennisrecord website is not affiliated with USTA, but it's a very easy way to look up names and find their official rating if they have one. You could go here and type in a few names of players who you have beaten or played close, will take a just a couple minutes of your time:

TennisRecord.com - Estimated Tennis Ratings & Stats

Lookup adult and junior tennis players and stats.
www.tennisrecord.com www.tennisrecord.com
Click to expand...
This is great. A couple of the people I've played sets with recently came up. Two 4.0 and one 4.5. I beat the 4.0s comfortably in one-off sets. With the 4.5 I won some 10-point rally games but lost the one set we played 6-4 (he broke me twice and I broke him once).

I'll keep playing recreationally and get my game back after several years away.

I think I can comfortably approach 4.0 teams/flex league and maybe move up after a year of match play.

Thanks y'all!
 
SpinDr. said:
This is great. A couple of the people I've played sets with recently came up. Two 4.0 and one 4.5. I beat the 4.0s comfortably in one-off sets. With the 4.5 I won some 10-point rally games but lost the one set we played 6-4 (he broke me twice and I broke him once).

I'll keep playing recreationally and get my game back after several years away.

I think I can comfortably approach 4.0 teams/flex league and maybe move up after a year of match play.

Thanks y'all!
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Good luck. Its not sandbagging because most ppl will get tighter or not play as well in league or tournaments till they get used to it. If you don’t have nerves and clean up you can always play up. But if you register as a 4.5 and dont meet expectations you may not find a team or become sour on the league.
 
Training regularly and getting better every week despite all the niggling injuries from forcing my body to move explosively in all directions again.

I signed up for something called "Tennis League San Diego." Not USTA sanctioned, but apparently it's a well established local singles league with 3.5-5.0 divisions. Anyone have experience with it? Spring season starts mid-April. I'll be in the 4.0 division, though I was warned by a 4.0 I played recently that I will be reported for sandbagging in 4.0s. He said I was 4.5+


 
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SpinDr. said:
Training regularly and getting better every week despite all the niggling injuries from forcing my body to move explosively in all directions again.

I signed up for something called "Tennis League San Diego." Not USTA sanctioned, but apparently it's a well established local singles league with 3.5-5.0 divisions. Anyone have experience with it? Spring season starts mid-April. I'll be in the 4.0 division.


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I have no experience with that league, but based on their website it seems like the 4.0 division could be too easy for you.

First, it is a co-ed league, and USTA 4.0 women are not the same skill level as 4.0 men, so that makes it harder to judge what the actual skill level will be. Second, they give the following UTR ranges for their divisions:

3.6 (= UTR 2 – 3.5), 4.0 (= UTR 3.5 – 4.75), 4.5 (= UTR 4.75 – 6) & 5.0 (= UTR +6)

Based on that, it seems like it's probably closer to women's USTA levels than men's. I think in most places, most men in the UTR 3.5-4.75 range would be USTA 3.5 level, possibly even 3.0 level at the low end.

Hard to know until you try it though - it looks like they have protocol for automatically moving you up if you start winning matches too easily. Enjoy!
 
SpinDr. said:
Training regularly and getting better every week despite all the niggling injuries from forcing my body to move explosively in all directions again.

I signed up for something called "Tennis League San Diego." Not USTA sanctioned, but apparently it's a well established local singles league with 3.5-5.0 divisions. Anyone have experience with it? Spring season starts mid-April. I'll be in the 4.0 division, though I was warned by a 4.0 I played recently that I will be reported for sandbagging in 4.0s. He said I was 4.5+


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Men sandbag in USTA team leagues, but play up in all other flex leagues especially for singles - often they self-rated in ignorance and not maliciously. So the guys playing singles in USTA team leagues at 4.0 might be on the higher end of a 4.0 computer rating with a sprinkling of sandbagging 4.5s or players about to be bumped. But if you join a 4.0 Flex league or other private singles leagues, the chances are that you will find a lot of players who are self-rated and are 3.5s if you compare to computer rated players. Part of why this happens is because many clubs will give unofficial club ratings that are 0.5 higher than USTA computer rating levels to make their members feel good. So many 3.5s think they are 4.0s because their club told them that - when they start playing USTA team leagues, they will be in for a rude shock especially in singles.
 
Yeah, in my opinion using a rating system that sounds like USTA NTRP for other leagues is a bit misleading. I wish they wouldn't do that. Just use your own scale to make it clear that it's not the same.

I played in Ultimate Tennis, where I first registered at 4.5 and over the next two seasons got bumped up to 5.0 and then 5.5. ...I am not a USTA NTRP 5.5. I'm a middle of the road 4.5 in USTA.
 
socallefty said:
So many 3.5s think they are 4.0s because their club told them that - when they start playing USTA team leagues, they will be in for a rude shock especially in singles.
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+1
As a USTA captain, most new players self rate 0.5 higher than they should be, and get a bit of a shock after playing USTA computer rated players.
 
Ok, played a couple of matches in this San Diego Tennis League's 4.5 division. The level is definitely too low for me. I'm 2-0 with scores of 6-1,6-2 and 6-0, 6-2 and I played poorly compared to how I practice. If it continues this way in the next couple matches, I will request to move up to 5.0.

Finally got Swing Vision up and running, so I was able to record some practice sessions with a buddy. I think my level would be 4.5 here in SoCal USTA 40+. I'm the white guy.

I'm going to look into 4.5 flex league when the summer season starts.

 
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